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Legal, pensions and money

Premium Bonds. No wins.

(87 Posts)
watermeadow Sun 15-Dec-19 20:01:02

I know the number of prizes has been cut but I want to know whether other people think that prizes have been more or less abandoned?
How many wins did you get during 2019 compared to previous years?
I bought £10,000 worth a year ago then the same again in April and have won nothing at all. Am I the only one?

Charleygirl5 Tue 20-Oct-20 14:01:08

Any wins I had were always reinvested so I have many mini-blocks of £25.

My personal feeling is the more premium bonds one has in a block the more likely one is to win.

many years ago one could only buy around £4000 in a block rather than eg £10,000.

Somebody has to win the million so why not me?

dragonfly46 Tue 20-Oct-20 13:59:48

I win most months - it was £150 last month.

PollyDolly Tue 20-Oct-20 13:57:27

I'm convinced NS & I have mislaid my numbers! I've held a considerable amount of premium bonds for many years and I've only ever won £25 which was last year! Seriously thinking of cashing them in.

Beauregard Tue 20-Oct-20 13:49:52

I noticed we seemed more likely to win with newly purchased bonds, and then nothing for ages.

I love it when that envelope drops on the mat - the anticipation of how much we've won. Then finding its (always) £25. Better than nothing though. We haven't won anything for a long time now. I hear they're stopping sending postal payments in the future.

Dee1012 Tue 20-Oct-20 13:24:01

watermeadow, funnily enough a colleague mentioned a similar situation to me yesterday too

Let's hope the little man in the office notices us again!grin

watermeadow Mon 19-Oct-20 16:03:15

Dee1012 - I too have my suspicions about how random the wins are. I noticed that every time I cashed in bonds I got a win (incentive to buy more?)
After buying £20,000-worth last year I won nothing until well over a year later. I picture a little man in the back office noticing that I’d been missed and hastily chucking prizes at me 4 months running. Since June I’ve won £350.
Nice but my suspicions remain.

Dee1012 Mon 19-Oct-20 11:17:39

I just came across this thread and found it quite interesting.

I had a direct debit set up to buy premium bonds each month (not a large amount by any means) and while it was in effect, I won virtually every month i.e in 2019 for ten out of 12 months...never more than £50 though!
I ended the direct debit earlier this year and funnily enough, all winnings have ceased.
Coincidence?

Charleygirl5 Fri 12-Jun-20 10:19:45

Most months, but not this one, I win at least £25 and sometimes that is multiplied by 3 or 4. I do not think I have won any more- but every month I wait for a million to drop in my lap. I am aware that may take more years than I have left!

I think half the problem is that there are a lot of people with premium bonds nowadays.

watermeadow Fri 12-Jun-20 10:13:20

I started this thread six months ago and am very surprised at how much and how often many of you win.
Today I got my first win on the £20000 I bought last year. It’s £25!
I’d assumed that the number of prizes had been drastically reduced but it seems to be purely bad luck that my bonds never win (until today’s kick in the teeth)
A few years ago I had about £8000 worth and won a small prize at least four times every year.

harrigran Wed 13-May-20 23:36:33

I think if you have had premium bonds for 20+ years and not had a win then you should write to NS&I, it could be that change of address has not been logged.
My winnings average £650 a year and I do not have the maximum holding.
I buy GC bonds for every birthday and have been doing it since birth, they are a good way of saving for them.

Callistemon Wed 13-May-20 23:07:24

Well, that's wonderful!
Every month I look to see how much the million pound winners hold and it's usually quite a lot if not the full amount.

How exciting would that be.

I was very pleased to win £50 this month.

I think that the amount people will be able to invest will increase because the Government will need to borrow more to pay for the consequences of the virus.

JenniferEccles Wed 13-May-20 22:45:43

One of this month’s one million pound prizes went to someone with just SEVEN POUNDS worth of bonds !!

How incredibly lucky was that?

notanan2 Wed 13-May-20 02:52:05

All you ladies seem to be 'well covered' for any fall in income resulting from the virus epidemic.

I was thinking that!
Isnt "the full amount" 50k?
Surprised at the number of posters with the full amount. If you believed everything you read on other threads on here you'ld think GNers were all barely getting by!

catladyuk Wed 13-May-20 00:38:16

I bought my new baby daughter a bond in 1966 and in 1970 it won the then top prize of £25,000. That surely proves that it makes no difference how many bonds you own. Over the years I have bought several more and when I was made redundant in 1997, I invested the money in a block of 9,000 bonds. I have had several wins within that block, but never more than £50 and that only once!

GabriellaG54 Wed 13-May-20 00:21:34

All you ladies seem to be 'well covered' for any fall in income resulting from the virus epidemic.
Here's me thinking that the majority of GNers were struggling and worrying about finances.
I don't now feel so bad about spending a few quid in Primark or £139 on a scarf from Sahara. hmmgrin

Luckygirl Sat 09-May-20 22:49:57

It is very rare for me not to win something each month and the annual interest that I earn is far greater than any other non-risky investment.

Justwidowed Sat 09-May-20 22:03:58

I worked there from 1959 to 1968.Maximum then was £500 and had only increased to £800 when I left.£25 was the lowest win but it then increased to £50 and later reverted to £25.I won £25 on a £1 bond and it was a lot of money in the the 1960 s.I have had the maximum since December 2018 and have won most months all £25 totalling £600.I like the thrill on the 2nd of each month.Altho I would like the Million pound agent to come on the last day of the previous month !!

mrsmopp Sat 09-May-20 21:42:06

They are still worth having as interest rates on savings are pathetic. I’ve had several wins and I check on the iPad app if I’ve won. It’s a bit of fun.

Keeper1 Sat 09-May-20 21:32:31

If your numbers are not “winning” why not cash them in and reinvest to get different numbered bond?

kissngate Sat 09-May-20 19:38:27

Told you Ernie5 was partisan. Someone from County Durham won 25k in April and £25k in May on the same bond. Since found out other bond holders have won large amounts on same bond more than once in past 12 months. NSI told me to take it up with the Govt Actuary Dept.

jo1book Thu 06-Feb-20 11:27:49

Just had a email to say I have a win. Can't remember my login and husband has put my numbers with his numbers (One of these days I will swing for him) and can't remember where.
It will probably take time to sort it and then find out it's ony £25.

Annie26 Thu 06-Feb-20 10:26:52

I have the full amount and didn't win anything this month and last month only won £25. It feels like Ernie is neglecting me sometimes!

Gagagran Thu 06-Feb-20 10:18:16

Won 3 x £25 in Feb. draw (hold full amount) Most I have won is one £500 but had lots of £25s and a few £50s. Very pleased with my bonds and enjoy looking to see if I have won anything each month.

Liz46 Thu 06-Feb-20 10:00:21

I won another £25 today. Still happy with the bonds.

DanniRae Thu 06-Feb-20 09:18:59

I have the full amount and won 2 x £25 this month smile